Through his film occasionally
threatens to lunge into melodrama, Wang Quan’an’s blending of documentary-style
realism with generic tropes – striking camerawork, a pacy narrative, sharp
editing, vivid characterisation – lends real impetus to the slight story of a
Mongolian shepherdess struggling to support her kids and disabled husband.
Reluctantly she agrees to his suggestion that she find a new partner; but she
insists any suitor adopt the whole family, hubby included. Tuya’s attempts to
achieve this make for an episodic but engrossing story. A refusal to pass
judgment and a palpable chemistry between the actors ensure that the film
succeeds both as a fable about the pitfalls of rapid modernisiation, and as
tough, unsentimental drama.

NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The
Horizontal is the time in minutes.

Bitrate:

Audio

Mandarin
(Dolby Digital 2.0)

Subtitles

English,
None

Features

Release Information:Studio: MPI

Aspect Ratio:Aspect Ratio 1.85:1

Edition Details:

• Stills
Gallery

DVD Release Date: October 28th, 2008Keep Case
Chapters: 19

Comments:

Well, I wish I could say the transfer
was as good as the film.... but it's not. The single-layered MPI offering is interlaced (see visible
'combing' in last capture). It looks quite dark and colors appear
dampened. Detail is unremarkable. In short the image quality is very
much below par.

The 2.0
channel Mandarin track exports the dialogue clearly enough and there are
removable English subtitles - in a horridly large yellow font. No extras
save a 'Stills Gallery'.

The
film is close to a masterpiece, reminiscent of early Zhang Yimou, but
MPI must be crazy to think people will accept, and pay for, this release
for over $20 - in this condition. I'm certain a superior edition
will surface at some point - the film is too good.

There is a French Wild-Side edition available
HERE but it appears to only have French subtitles.